How to Build an ABM Strategy That Sales Will Actually Love
- hajar boulagjam
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
We had the pleasure of connecting with Caroline Bombart, a seasoned B2B marketer with an international twist, to talk about all things Account-Based Marketing (ABM), sales alignment, and why treating ABM as an "always-on" strategy is no longer optional.
But first, some fun facts: Caroline’s journey started at the University of Stirling (yes, that random but charming place in Scotland), after growing up an expat and graduating from an international school in the U.S.
From studying economics and Spanish to working in telecom, FMCG, and eventually tech and SaaS, Caroline’s path was anything but traditional, and that's exactly what makes her approach to ABM so interesting.
Sales and Marketing Alignment: Weekly Rituals and Pipeline Co-Ownership
When it comes to aligning sales and marketing, Caroline keeps it simple but consistent:
"Weekly meetings are a must," she told us. She co-owns the pipeline with sales teams, regularly checking Salesforce dashboards, SLAs, and sales cycle data to spot hurdles early.
The secret is to understand where deals get stuck; top, middle, or bottom of the funnel and create the content or resources needed to move them along.
"It's usually the middle," Caroline laughed, "where an explainer video or a new whitepaper can really help."
Setting ABM Objectives: Tie Everything to Business Outcomes
When asked how she sets ABM objectives, Caroline’s advice was clear: always tie them to real business goals. Her three go-to pillars are:
Engagement with decision-makers.
Pipeline contribution.
Revenue growth (including upsell opportunities).
Pro tip: Don't just hunt for new logos. Caroline stressed the value of upselling and expanding existing accounts, a strategy too many ABM pilots overlook.
Picking Target Accounts: Start with Stagnant Ones
Caroline’s account selection process is part art, part science. She partners with sales from day one, analyzing thermographic data, technographics, intent signals, and old-school CRM history to pick strategic targets.
Each account even gets a "sales champion"; an internal ally who meets weekly to refine the ABM playbook.
And how long does this all take?
"Give it one to two months to do it properly," Caroline shared. "Don’t rush it."
Account Research: Tier Your Efforts
Researching accounts can quickly become overwhelming, so Caroline organizes everything into tiers.
Tier 1 accounts get deeper research, personalized playbooks, and tailored engagement strategies.
She also taps into sales firsthand knowledge ("even if it's all in their heads and not in Salesforce," she joked).
Top Engagement Channels: The Power of Conversational Ads
If you think LinkedIn ads are boring, think again. Caroline’s conversational ads on LinkedIn hit a mind-blowing 45% click-through rate. By scripting personalized ad sequences with sales, she created one-to-one experiences at scale.
Her engagement channel favorites are:
Conversational LinkedIn ads
Personalized email workflows
Web personalization
Content Creation: Personalization Pays Off
Here’s a standout tactic: Caroline took on the challenge of managing her CEO’s LinkedIn account, creating deeply personalized 1:1 video messages for target accounts.
The result was nearly 50% of recipients responded, an impressive feat for any outreach campaign.
"It was time-consuming," she admitted, "but when every second person replies, you just keep going."
How ABM and Demand Gen Are Merging
Over the past year, Caroline has seen ABM evolve from a "special project" into a permanent part of go-to-market strategies. It's no longer separate from demand gen but fully integrated into always-on marketing motions.
"ABM today is just good marketing," she said. "You can't run a campaign and not think about how to personalize it for your top accounts."
Dream Tech: The AI Pipeline Pulse
If Caroline could invent one tool, it would be an AI "pipeline pulse".
A predictive system that uses intent signals, web activity, and sales insights to forecast buying readiness at the account level.
"It would help eliminate so many pipeline surprises," she explained. (And honestly, we’d sign up for that tomorrow.)
Before She Left: A Brilliant Question for the Next Guest
Caroline left us with a gem: "What’s the most counter-intuitive ABM strategy you’ve tried that actually worked, and what did you learn from it?"
Stay tuned! We can't wait to see how the next guest answers that one.
Big Thanks to Caroline Bombart for sharing her insights and experiences. We appreciate you taking the time to walk us through your ABM journey.
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